C759 Strong Soldiers and Strong Horses!
A Roam Ship from the Babel Chamber of Commerce cut through the skies of Horror Land, carrying Ma Jianjiang, Jin Xiaolie, and several of the Chamber's formidable members. Each person aboard had reached this forbidding place as a Yin God.
"Could it really be Yu Yuan?"
Jin Xiaolie's Yin God radiated a brilliant golden light, his soul suffused with a divine golden luminescence—a clear indication that he, a cultivator at the Soul Wandering Stage, was on the cusp of achieving the Large Success Stage and on the verge of forming his Yang God.
He had been dispatched to Horror Land by Qin Yan following the demise of Lin Yue and Faang Yingzi's souls.
Upon locating the Roam Ship, still adrift in Horror Land thanks to a secret technique, Jin Xiaolie met with Ma Jianjiang and learned of the destruction of the two guest's Yin Gods at the hands of Yu Yuan, a truth he struggled to digest.
"It was indeed Yu Yuan," Ma Jianjiang confirmed, his face etched with sorrow. "They accused him of being a traitor to the Boundless Land and initiated the attack under the guise of purging a turncoat."
The other Chamber guests wore peculiar expressions. One of them, with a chilling grin, let out a sinister laugh. "A dog chasing mice tends to overstep! Whether Yu Yuan has truly forsaken this realm remains to be seen. Moreover, the Chamber of Commerce has always stayed out of continental disputes. Those two were likely eyeing something Yu Yuan possessed."
The speaker was none other than the Yellow Old Devil, whom Yu Yuan had encountered in the Absence Relic.
This nefarious giant of Soul Arts was the most powerful in the group, naturally attuned to the harsh environment of Horror Land. Having cultivated there since his early days in the Yin God Stage, he had forged strong ties with its formidable inhabitants.
While Jin Xiaolie, nearing the end of the Soul Wandering Stage, might not have regarded the Yellow Old Devil highly elsewhere, here in Horror Land, he held this enigmatic figure in high esteem. Known across the Profound Sky Continent, the Yellow Old Devil's counsel was sought after on many matters.
"Guest Master Yellow speaks the truth," Ma Jianjiang agreed with a subtle nod.
"I knew it would be so," Yellow Old Devil cackled, addressing Jin Xiaolie and the others from the Babel Chamber of Commerce who had gathered. "In my view, Faang Yingzi and Lin Yue brought this upon themselves. No one can blame Yu Yuan for his ruthless actions. Let me speak frankly, folks: if you can avoid crossing Yu Yuan, it's in your best interest to do so."
"Especially in this extraordinary place!"
He had once gazed through the Asura's eyes in the Dark Domain, where he had dealings with Yu Yuan in that enchanting microcosm.
He had been a witness to certain events, and over the years, the memory of those encounters filled him with dread at the thought of Yu Yuan. Hence, his amiable demeanor towards Yu Yuan in the Absence Relic left Zhu Peining and the senior members of the Chamber of Commerce perplexed.
"What's your take, Manager Ma?" someone called out.
After a moment's hesitation, Ma Jianjiang replied in a low voice, "I believe Guest Master Yellow's advice is sound. There's no need to antagonize Yu Yuan in Horror Land."
"Is someone who hasn't even condensed his Yin God, relying on artifacts to advance, truly that fearsome?" the person pressed.
Ma Jianjiang and Yellow Old Devil both nodded affirmatively.
...
The Evil Cauldron soared through the void, with General Lee Yuchan's expression flickering between hope and despair as she shuddered uncontrollably.
Her Yin God within the cauldron was a spectacle of transformation—now a dark swirling vortex, now a chilling human silhouette, now tearing apart only to coalesce once more.
She was grappling with the backlash of the Martyr Spell.
"No! I must find a way to resolve this backlash on my own!" she thought, clenching her teeth in determination.
If she couldn't address the Martyr Spell's backlash and became dependent on Yu Yuan, wouldn't she be under his thumb for life, unable to ever hold her head high again?
This thought only steeled her resolve—there had to be a way!
Within the cauldron's inner realm.
Yu Yuan watched with exhilaration as the Ice Concubine ascended to the eighth tier of the cauldron's steps.
Having consumed the Dark Ghost Ice Flood Dragon, the Ice Concubine, previously at the lower steps, had suddenly risen to become the first Evil Demon to reach the eighth tier!
The soul power of the Ice Flood Dragon was immense and harmonized flawlessly with the Ice Concubine.
Having immobilized the Ice Flood Dragon, the Ice Concubine methodically refined it, naturally elevating her rank and surpassing the second Evil Demon. It was akin to ascending to the heavens in a single bound.
At this moment, the Ice Concubine stood towering on the eighth echelon, drawing strength from every Evil Devil below her.
Even the second Evil Demon, a deep crimson shadow akin to a blood deity, was helplessly and forcibly stripped of its refined soul power.
None of the Evil Devils on the lower echelons could escape this fate.
In this manner, the Ice Concubine harnessed the collective power of the numerous Evil Devils below to refine the Ice Flood Dragon, maximizing the utilization of its concealed icy force and integrating it into herself.
The Ice Concubine of the eighth echelon was like an ancient, icy Evil God. The piercing cold aura emanating from her caused Yu Yuan's soul to tremble.
"Ice Concubine can't engage in battle for the time being; she needs time to stabilize her newfound power," Yu Yiyi said, her voice brimming with excitement. "Once the Ice Concubine has completely drained the Ice Flood Dragon, she will undergo a metamorphosis. Seated firmly on the eighth echelon, her next appearance will reveal her true power as a titled ghost of the Horror Land!"
"Excellent!" Yu Yuan exclaimed in jubilation.
Ice Concubine's dominion over the Ice Flood Dragon stemmed from her prolonged stay in the Nether Abyss and a series of serendipitous events that had elevated her power beyond that of the dragon.
If one were to categorize cold power into various levels, she had long outstripped the Ice Flood Dragon.
In terms of life force, the Ice Flood Dragon couldn't match her, cowering in defeat, especially with the amplification from the Soul Split formation leading to its downfall.
Had Ice Concubine faced a different ghost, one not susceptible to her control, victory would have been impossible. But now, with the Ice Flood Dragon in her clutches, once she has fully refined it, she will truly wield the combat prowess of a ghost!
"Master, please bestow upon him a new name," Yu Yiyi implored.
As she spoke, the Second Evil Demon on the seventh echelon burst forth with a captivating blood-red glow. "Whatever his former name, it no longer matters. From this moment forward, Master, grant him a fresh moniker. He has reached the seventh floor and, by all rights, is entitled to a new name."
Upon hearing these words, the Second Evil Demon of the seventh echelon underwent a startling transformation.
He morphed into a scarlet crescent moon!
Yu Yuan was taken aback. A name sparked in his mind, and he immediately declared, "From this day forth, he shall be known as Blood Moon! It seems to be the name he desires, so let it be."
"Blood Moon? Quite a fitting name. The Evil Demon of the seventh floor is showing a hint of sentience," Yu Yiyi, whose location was unknown, quickly endorsed the name "Blood Moon." "Master, from now on, only Evil Demons of the eighth floor and above will have the privilege of being renamed by you. We're changing the rules."
"Why is that?" Yu Yuan inquired with curiosity.
"The process is becoming more structured. More Evil Demons will emerge on the fifth, sixth, and seventh floors," Yu Yiyi clarified. "We can't have you distracted by naming them, so the new rule will apply from the eighth floor up."
Looking past Blood Moon, Yu Yuan noticed the sixth level was desolate, with no Evil Demon ready to take over the spots once held by Ice Concubine and Blood Moon.
Descending further, on the fifth step, three new Evil Demons were in the midst of refinement.
A white bear, a gray wolf, and a black phoenix, all in their soul forms.
The white bear was the Heavenly Ghost Yu Yuan had previously encountered in the territory of the Wang Chuan ghosts. After being drawn into the small world within the cauldron and lightly refined, it was directly placed on the fifth level.
A Heavenly Ghost level soul, once refined, earned its place on the fifth level.
Yu Yuan glanced at the gray wolf and black phoenix but did not recognize them.
Yu Yiyi swiftly communicated, "Those two ascended from the very bottom, advancing step by step. They began as evil spirits, transformed into Evil Demons, and after several battles, they've reached the fifth level. It's understandable that you're not familiar with them."
Yu Yuan acknowledged with an "Oh" and then shifted his gaze to the fourth level, where he saw dozens of Evil Demons.
On the third level, there appeared to be six to seven hundred Evil Demons.
The second level was teeming with over two thousand Evil Demons, ready and waiting, as if they could burst forth and form ranks at any moment.
On the first level, where souls condensed into evil spirits, one to two hundred new souls were in the process of being refined.
Gazing upon the tiers of Death Demons, Yu Yuan understood that with each ascending level, their strength would intensify. The sheer multitude of Death Demons instilled in him a sudden sense of formidable might.
"Master, that woman is at her limit," came the warning.
...
